E3 2011: Grimlands Overview

From out of space comes a runway planet hurdling between the Earth and the Moon unleashing cosmic destruction… oh sorry, that's Thundarr the Barbarian.

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Grimlands is a third person shooter MMORPG where your main goal is survival. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the earth has been shattered by earthquakes. Cities have crumbled and laid to waste, those that haven’t are constantly besieged for resources and protection. The world of Grimlands has been overrun by roving bands of marauders, mutants, psychopathic robbers and roving bands of mutant marauding psychopathic robbers all battling for dominion of the wastelands. Things are still a little tight-lipped regarding Grimlands, although Dennis Hartmann of Gamigo was kind enough to share what brief details he could with us at this year's E3.

Currently there are two major factors intended to set Grimlands apart from other games of this genre. The first is what has been dubbed as “learning by doing”. This is a very logical method of learning skills and perhaps makes the most sense of any skill-based progression system. Simply put, the more you use an item the more proficient you become. For example, if you use an assault rifle all the time you skills with an assault rifle will increase. What does this mean if you decide to switch to a shotgun... absolutely nothing. Grimlands doesn't just group all weapons of a particular type into one skill. Conversely not using a weapon over time will diminish a player's proficiency. Following what I've deemed a logical approach to weapon mastery. Players will have ample opportunities to modify their weapons. Scopes will add increased accuracy to weapons, while larger magazines and specialty ammunition will increase damage.

The second major point discussed was that of Crafting. Crafting will play a huge role in Grimlands allowing players to build and modify weapons. Vehicles in Grimlands will also be enhanced by crafted items. One of the goals a player will have in the game is to track down and manage resources. These resources will be one of the main reasons to fight and defeat enemies. Players will consistently be searching for the next new resource hub in-game. This will carry over to the PVP portion too. Crafting limitations have not been clearly defined, but as it will be one of the main features careful consideration is being devoted to find the right balance for players.

PVP in Grimlands appears to be comprised of both player on player duels, arena battles and Clan-based combat. Clans will have the ability to take over some of the surviving cities and defend it against attackers. Control of these cities will yield bonuses for the controlling Clan. Bonuses at this point appear to be mostly resources: either raw materials or crafting areas. Launch has been scheduled for Q4 of this year, though it’s still pretty quiet for a game due out in a few months. For more on Grimlands, including a trailer, check out their site at the top of this page. Looking forward to this one? Share your thoughts below.